Latest news with #AlexanderPhillips
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Block's Darren Palmer sells Bondi Beach pad for a whopping $8.25 million - making a tidy profit on luxe coastal rebuild
The Block star Darren Palmer has quietly offloaded his luxe Bondi Beach home for a cool $8.25 million - more than doubling what he originally paid for the property. Palmer, 46, and his husband Olivier Duvillard, a cosmetics executive, finally closed the deal on their four-bedroom, four-bathroom sanctuary just metres from the surf after pulling it from auction earlier this year. According to the couple had listed the property on Sir Thomas Mitchell Road with a price guide of $7.95 million in April, but opted for a private sale after the right buyer failed to materialise on auction day. Their patience paid off. Celebrity agent Alexander Phillips secured the sale off-market to a buyer from their database - setting a new street record in the process. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Darren and Olivier originally snapped up the 1930s Californian bungalow for $2.98 million in 2015 and completely transformed it in a major rebuild in 2022. The three-storey residence features designer finishes throughout - including a statement open fireplace, natural stone kitchen, a dreamy master suite, and an outdoor plunge pool framed by palm trees. 'This is actually the longest-term house I've had in my entire life, except for when I was a child,' Darren revealed in an interview with Home Beautiful earlier this year. When Darren purchased it in the mid 2010s, the home had already been raised to two levels before the author forged ahead with his own renovation plans. Darren collaborated with architect John Deuchrass and construction company Taste Living to completely rebuild the home after he bought it. 'The poor old house has a lot to be improved upon. I spent years imagining what it might be when it was completely done,' Darren told Domain. He went on to say he kept only one bedroom 'with the original 1920s horsehair plaster ornate ceiling' but ended up renovating the rest over two years. It's not the only property Darren and Olivier have offloaded recently. Celebrity agent Alexander Phillips secured the sale off-market to a buyer from their database - setting a new street record in the process The pair also quietly sold their Byron Bay retreat for $2.6 million to fashion entrepreneur Candice Rose O'Rourke, founder of the popular lifestyle label Zulu & Zephyr, and her husband Josh. That dreamy coastal property, located just 100m from Tallow Beach, boasted its own private path to the sand and offered all the trimmings of a Byron escape - think open-plan living, neutral tones, and breezy design perfect for barefoot luxury. Darren will, meanwhile, return to The Block when the renovation series returns to TV in August.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘They're off': $962m man's look into real estate woes
Alexander Phillips, Australia's top real estate agent for the 10th consecutive year after topping the Real Estate Business (REB) industry website rankings, doesn't have a secret winning approach. He reveals everything about his powerhouse sales method, in appearances on the weekly High Performance industry podcast, for any agent tuning in. Phillips, of Phillips Pantzer Donnelley, and his support staff, topped the latest rankings when securing a $962m annual tally from 196 sales across Sydney's coastal east in 2024. Phillips, with 24 years' experience, first hit the REB list in 2014 when he ranked second with 108 sales yielding $200m. It was to an agent from Toorak. His average price sale has risen over the period from $1.85m to $4.9m in 2024, which compares to an average of $2.89m across the top 50 NSW agents on the CommBank-sponsored list. Phillips also ranks among the quickest agents, selling homes in an average of 21 days, although this rose from 19 days in the prior year. The son of an acclaimed car salesman credits his success to 'good relationships and good processes'. Of course sales success leads to continued momentum. Significantly, while he represents vendors like all agents, Phillips displays an acute sense of buyer placement as soon as a listing comes into view, and then from the innovative photo shoot open house. The ongoing momentum, and self promotion amid the many neighbourhoods of his sales success, ensures he is top of mind when prospective vendors are making their decision. Recent analysis of 35,000 active listing agents across the residential market in 2024 suggests that the top 20 per cent of agents listed more than 60 per cent of all properties. Phillips's nearest challenger, Michael Clarke, had an $871m tally from 221 sales across the harbour at Manly. While they don't compete, the tally reflects a slight narrowing in the gap to $91m for Clarke. Clarke had $814m in 202 sales in 2023 when the gap was $159m. Clarke was also a new entrant in 2014 with 97 sales, yielding a $139m tally. Entry on to the REB list published by Momentum Media is voluntary, and self nominating, with the data overseen by Agile Market Intelligence. Numerous agents have ceased declaring their sales tally, since the reveal will show that they are way behind their perceived rivals. The 45-year-old Phillips wakes weekdays at 4am, has a hot bath, manifests, and trains on gym equipment, before grabbing a coffee and getting to the office by 6am. 'Getting up early gives me two hours where I'm not bothered to plan the day because by 6.30am my phone is ringing,' he recently told the podcast. He's not had a weekday client lunch for a decade. Describing the current market as 'challenging', Phillips notes 'volumes are down, sales are down and agents are off'. 'There's stress out there,' he says.
The Age
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
The best properties on the market in Sydney right now
We thought they called the suburb Glamorama for all the beautiful people here, but looking at places like 3 Dellview Street in Tamarama, we realise it might just be these smooth, seaside spreads that up the attractive ante. 3 Dellview Street, Tamarama NSW This home's expansive corner block site allows for some of the best things in life – blue-water views, languid space across two levels, and a high-end fitout that's not only sumptuous but sustainably minded too. It begins with hydronic heating under the Austrian oak floors and extends to the loft of the second level's cathedral ceiling, allowing the sea breezes, sunshine and views to flow through. In between there are four large, lovely bedrooms, bathrooms decked out in calacatta marble, and a lush living area that flows out through bifold glass to the sandstone al fresco space and manicured garden. 'Absolutely 10 out of 10,' says PPD Real Estate's Alexander Phillips. 'One of the best finishes I've ever seen in the area.' Rear-lane access is a boon here too, and there's a brilliant rooftop garden above the garage. Smart cross ventilation, a solar array and battery, and comprehensive home automation are cutting-edge clever. Then there's the view. The June 21 auction carries a guide of $7 million.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The best properties on the market in Sydney right now
We thought they called the suburb Glamorama for all the beautiful people here, but looking at places like 3 Dellview Street in Tamarama, we realise it might just be these smooth, seaside spreads that up the attractive ante. 3 Dellview Street, Tamarama NSW This home's expansive corner block site allows for some of the best things in life – blue-water views, languid space across two levels, and a high-end fitout that's not only sumptuous but sustainably minded too. It begins with hydronic heating under the Austrian oak floors and extends to the loft of the second level's cathedral ceiling, allowing the sea breezes, sunshine and views to flow through. In between there are four large, lovely bedrooms, bathrooms decked out in calacatta marble, and a lush living area that flows out through bifold glass to the sandstone al fresco space and manicured garden. 'Absolutely 10 out of 10,' says PPD Real Estate's Alexander Phillips. 'One of the best finishes I've ever seen in the area.' Rear-lane access is a boon here too, and there's a brilliant rooftop garden above the garage. Smart cross ventilation, a solar array and battery, and comprehensive home automation are cutting-edge clever. Then there's the view. The June 21 auction carries a guide of $7 million.
